Thank you for being part of our journey. We feel so blessed to be surrounded by such amazing family and friends, and we cannot wait to celebrate this next chapter with you. Your presence is truly the greatest gift, but for those who wish, registry details are available here. We cannot wait to celebrate with you!

Ashley and Kessashun have known each other for as long as they've known how to walk. They grew up in the same church, sat next to each other in elementary school for one year, and graduated from the same high school. Though they weren't super close for all those years, they were always friendly to each other and shared laughs every time they spoke.

One of my earliest memories of him was at Eden Grove Academy. It was a very small private school and we literally sat right next to each other. I was in fifth grade and he was in fourth grade. We joked constantly and I had the biggest little elementary school crush on him. I even wrote him a note to tell him how I felt, then immediately panicked, balled it up, and made sure he never read it. So technically I tried to shoot my shot first and folded under pressure. Later he skipped a grade and we ended up in the same class again at Walnut Hills High School. We still spoke in passing at school and church, but nothing deeper. During college, I knew he was great at math, so I asked him to help me with pre algebra so I could get into my business minor. He helped me several times that summer without charging anything, which looking back should have told me something. Life went on and we both dated other people. I honestly never imagined we would become what we are today. After graduation we went on a few dates, but I was not ready for anything serious at the time because I was still figuring out who I was and what I wanted. A few years later we reconnected. He asked if I was dating anyone, I said no, and we slowly started spending more time together. This time felt different. I was more secure in who I was, not perfect but grounded, and a few months later we made it official. As we dated, we grew closer in ways I never imagined. Kessashun even relocated from Columbus back to Cincinnati, and we began having deeper conversations about faith, life, and our future. I truly believe he is an answered prayer. He met every request I had ever taken to God about my future husband and even fulfilled needs I did not know I had. I can be very focused and tunnel visioned, and he helped me enjoy life more, discover hobbies, and see myself differently. He prayed for me when I could not pray for myself.

I've always felt fondly of Ashley and loved how well we meshed. But it wasn't until 2019 that I mustered up the courage to ask her on a date. As many of us can relate to, 2019 and 2020 were not the greatest years. Timing and circumstances were less than ideal, and nothing ever materialized from the few dates we went on. Fast-forward to 2022, I'll admit it, Ashley was the one who broke the ice and asked me if I wanted to "hang out next time I'm in town." The next time we saw each other, just like when we were kids, there were non-stop smiles and laughter, and I walked away knowing that something special was brewing. Though I was living in Columbus, OH for the next year and a half, I spent most of my weekends in Cincinnati. My mom thought I was coming home more often because I missed her cooking (which isn’t entirely false). My Columbus friends were getting suspicious. It wasn’t long before they were onto me. This Ashley girl brought out the best in me. She got me out of my comfort zones, supported me in all my crazy ideas, showed me all the grace I needed, and loved me unconditionally. There were zero doubts in my mind that this was the person God placed on earth for me to spend the rest of my life with, so even when we had challenging days, there was always a sense of peace that we’d weather the storms and come out stronger on the other side. Ashley is my perfect compliment. Proposing to her was one of the easiest decisions I’ve made.

On the day Kessashun proposed to Ashley, Christmas Eve 2024, he had lunch catered by one of their favorite restaurants. There’s a focaccia bread on the menu that they order every time, so of course that bread was a part of the catered meal. Ashley thought the bread looked "lumpier" than usual that day, but she kept that thought to herself. On the inside, she was certain there was a ring buried inside this loaf of bread. When they cut into it, she was disappointed to not find a "crunchy" surprise inside, and figured she'd be waiting until another time to get engaged. (Really? Is that the best engagement idea she thought Kessashun could come up with!!??) Meanwhile, as they ate their lunch, the box with the engagement ring was sitting on a desk in plain sight, next to the Christmas tree. Kessashun knows that Ashley can be.. unobserving.. sometimes, so instead of hiding the ring, he figured making it obvious was the best way to be discrete. This turned out to be a good strategy. An hour later, Ashley's disappointment turned into shock and disbelief when she indeed got an engagement ring that day. Little did they know that the loaf of bread would set the stage for an even bigger surprise!